前苏联共合国乔治亚这一阵子流行用水蛭治疗疾病,以往欧洲人会用水蛭治疗痔疮,乔治亚人把这项疗法发扬光大,用来治疗其他疾病。 ! E! w2 o$ c6 c8 V 3 g2 e9 u. @8 S% L2 O+ b 乔治亚很多诊所都提供水蛭疗法,病人得先跟诊所买一只水蛭,更年期妇女先把水蛭放在脖子上,经过一、二十分钟,水蛭吸完血,身体膨胀4倍,就可以取下,接着医师再把另外2只水蛭放在这名妇女上下牙龈上,等吸完血再取出,医师在患者伤口上贴上绷带,就算完成治疗。接受过治疗的妇女说,她们在更年期会出现的潮红和盗汗都有明显改善。rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de2 z/ y* F3 S4 Y ]5 ?( X
人在德国 社区7 x) i# T* Z/ z; V% p) W
另外,有一些高血压或是经常性头痛病人,也会用水蛭疗法降低血压,或是治疗头痛。一名医师说,不但乔治亚人用水蛭治病,乌克兰、波兰、甚至德国,也有不少人接受这种疗法。rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de! p# b8 S4 F* e& }
$ m, i) C5 q" O( x ! I9 H2 h! j- i4 A; ? # s& Z1 }1 k% J# m - r# w9 q* o& w9 f/ h+ ^0 ~rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de9 [# [: G0 R. S& _
Women turn to leeches in Tbilisi 22 June 2011 # Y3 y1 _% W" crs238848.rs.hosteurope.de) m$ U( V n$ u& K! m Q$ D8 \8 W- Y) a
Leeches have been used in medicine for thousands of years. By attaching themselves to the body, and sucking blood from a patient, they were thought to bring health benefits. * ]- W l: J9 N5 m- o1 } _ b2 f) b5 E4 o! L+ ]" v' nThe idea being that disease could be banished by releasing the infected blood./ u0 S! M; z1 F/ C
0 y1 b9 X( j0 d+ ?+ GThat idea fell out of fashion during the 20th century, with the discovery of modern drugs. But today, as interest in traditional medicine grows, they are making a comeback - particularly in the former Soviet State of Georgia. 2 ^5 V% M( Q5 x* B, I8 R ( _% n/ O' s8 {2 m( D- f0 Prs238848.rs.hosteurope.deDamien McGuinness in the capital Tbilisi has been finding out why.